Event Burnout Again

I know I talked about this already. Since then I've dropped The Initiative and re-picked-up Countdown. Probably not an even trade, financially speaking. :)

I've seen similar comments from other comic bloggers.

Now Newsarama and Sequentially Speaking are both talking about it. That's got to mean it's a real phenomenon, doesn't it? Although I suppose it will be a while before there's any evidence of declining interest (or not) in the profits of the comic companies.

I think one of the best points made in the above articles (not mine, the other two links) is that smaller events (such as the Sinestro Corps thing) are less likely to annoy you right out of the comic shop. It's tThe big company-wide events, where it's harder to find a book that's not involved in the event, that are the budget- and interest-killers. And it does seem to ring true--I'm getting (as far as I know) all of Sinestro Corps. I didn't come anywhere near getting all of Civil War or House of M (and I liked House of M!).

As for me?

Yes, comic events get me to consider buying (and sometimes actually buy) comics I don't already get.

Yes, this annoys me somewhat. Not enough not to buy the books, usually, but still I sometimes feel a bit put-upon.

No, I don't typically keep buying books I only picked up for the event. So the only gain there is pretty short-term, and I'm not sure the loss in customer good will is worth the temporary gain in money.

My wallet would be certainly be happier without the event books--hell, if I weren't buying them, maybe I could add another ongoing title or two.

But as long as I'm not losing what I like in comics--the characters and stories that were there before the event--I'm not likely to drop the comic habit altogether.

Although it was a lengthy X-books crossover back in the 90s that had me throwing my hands in the air and giving up on the hobby for the better part of ten years. So it can happen. And if it can happen to me--someone who typically waits out the less-than-stellar periods in her comics rather than dropping them--it can happen to anyone.